Stephen h



(No Model.)

s. H. SPRINGER. BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS.

N0.463',Z96. Patented Nov. 17,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. SPRINGER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGN OR TO THE SPRINGERAUTOMATIC OAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUFFER FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 463,296, datedNovember 17, 1891. Application filed December 5, 1890. Serial No.873,652. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: is also extended through a coinciding open-Be it known that I, STEPHEN H. SPRINGER, ing in the bar or abutment O.acitizen of the United States of America, and G is a head on the rearend of the'bar G. a resident of Des Moines, in the county of H areenlargements on the edges and in- 55 5 Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new sides of the metal bearings, that restrict the and usefulBuffer for Railway-Oars, of which inward motions of the slidingcrossheads F the following is a specification. and the compression ofthe coil-springs J, My invention consists in the construction placed onthe reciprocating bar Grand between of a bufier composed of fixed metalbearings, the cross-heads F and abutment O. 60 a reciprocating bar,sliding cross-heads, a re- K are the parallel side pieces of the woodenmovable abutment, and coilsprings, and in frame, adapted to be fixed toa car, as shown combining the same with a car and drawbar, in Fig. 3, bymeans of bolts or in any suitas hereinafter set forth, pointed out in myable way. The metal cross-bar at the front claims, and illustrated inthe accompanying end of the frame is bent upward at right an- 5 I 5drawings, in whichgles, so that its end portions-can be fixed to Figure1 is a perspective View of a metal a car to aid in securing the completebuifer bearingadapted to be fixed toawooden frame. to the car, and alsoto serve as a support for Fig. 2 is a bottom View of a Wooden frame tothe draw-bar L, that isdetachably connected which a pair of the metalbearings is fixed as with the front end of the reciprocating bar G 70required to support the sliding cross-heads, by extending the end of thebar G into a corthe abutment, and a reciprocating bar and respondingbore in the rear end of the drawcoilsprings on the bar to produce abuffer bar L, and then passing a key through coinadapted to be combinedwith a caranda drawciding openings in the two parts, or in any bar. Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view other suitable way as required toconnect the 75 of the buffer attached to a section of the bottwo bars sothat they will move jointly in tom and end portion of a car andconnected their reciprocating longitudinal motions. with a draw-bar asrequired for practical use. When two cars that are equipped with my Arepresents one of my metal bearings cast buffers come together and theforce of their complete in one piece, and A a mating piece. impact istransmitted to the draw-bars L and 8c 3 B is a transverse enlargement atthe back the reciprocating bar G, the rear ends of the and center,adapted to fit into a correspond draw-bars L will press the slidingcross-heads ing cavity or transverse groove formed in F rearward, thecoil-springs in front of the the wooden frame to which the metal bearingcentral abutment will resist the force, and is to be fixed. Thisenlargement produces a the abutinents will support the springs as 85chamber B on the inside, adapted to admit they are thus compressed toprevent jarring Y and retain a removable metal block or plate andconcussion, and when the pressure is re- O, adapted to serve as anabutment for the laxed the springs will resume their normal springs thatare designed to prevent the jarposition, and in so doing move thecross-head ring and concussions incident to the pushing F, the draw-barL, and the reciprocating bar G 90 and pulling of draw-bars in operatinga train. to their former positions, and when the cars are D are ribsacross the end portions of the moved in opposite directions, or one ismoved backs of the bearings A and A adapted to away from the other, soas to pull outward on enter corresponding grooves in the wood to oneofthe draw-bars L, such force willbe transaid in securely fastening themetal bearings mitted to the reciprocating bar G, connected 5 totheWooden frame. The ends of the beartherewith, and the head G will pressthe ings are perforated to admit the passage of sliding cross-head Fforward and compress bolts, and D near the ends are flanges that thespring interposed between the said crossproduce chambers D adapted toretain and head and the central abutment O, as required guide the endsof sliding cross-heads F and to prevent jarring and concussion by a jerkI00 5 0 F, that have central openings through which ing or pullingmotion to which the draw-bar a reciprocating bar G is extended. Said barmay be subjected, and when the pulling force is relaxed the power storedin the spring will replace the cross-head F and also the drawbarL andreciprocating bar G to their former positions. It is therefore obviousthat when two carsare coupled together and the drawbar of one car issubjected to a pushing force and the draw-bar of the other car to apullin g force the rearward motion of the one drawbar Will be met by thespring in the rear of the said abutment and the separate buffers.

0n the two distinct cars reciprocally operated to overcome any strain orjerk in the movements of the cars that might otherwise cause jarring,concussion, or damage to the couplings, cars, and train.

I claim as my invention- 1. A metal bearing for car-butters, consistingof an elongated plate having a transverse projection on its back andcenter, forming an open chamber adapted to receive and retain .the endof a cross-bar or plate, flanges at the end portion of its front orinside face to produce chambers adapted to receive ends of slidingcross-heads, and perforations in its ends to admit the passage of bolts,for the purposes stated.

2. A metal bearing for a car-buffer, consisting of an oblong metal platehavingan. extension B on its back and central portion,

producing a chamber B ribs D at its back and end portions, enlargementsH on its edges, and perforations in its ends, substantially as shown anddescribed, for the purposes stated.

A car-buffer comprising mating metal bearings fixed to the inside facesof parallel bars, each of said bearings having an elongated chamberextending across its central portion, a chamber at each end adapted toreceive the ends of sliding cross-heads, and enlargements or shouldersto restrict the inward motions of said cross-heads, having centralopenings and their ends extended into said end chambers, a plate orabutment having a central opening and its ends in the central chambersof the mating metal plates or bearings, a bar having a head at its rearend extended through the central openings in the sliding cross-heads andthe abutment, and coil-springs placed upon the said bar and between thesaid cross-h'eads and abutment, in combination with a car and draw-bar,to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

STEPHEN H. SPRINGER.

lVitnesses:

R. H. ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

